Road joint former



June 8 1937. R. ROBERTSON. 2,082,976

ROAD JOINT FORMER Filed sepi z. 22, 1933 2 SheetsSheet 1 W elai g f, I l #6 11 19 wil A Al EM UH F063,! 19 1901661 16072 June 8, 1937. R. R. ROBERTSON 2,082,976

ROAD JOINT FORMER Filed Sept. 22, 1955 Z-Sheets-Sheet 2 flier! J?- 1 056723072.

Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 ROAD Jonw'r FORMER Robert R. Robertson, Chicago, Ill., assignor, to The Translode Joint'Company, Chicago, 111,, a corporation of Illinois Application September 22,1933, Serial No. 690,506 36 Claims. (cl. 94-18 This invention pertains to road transmission joints for concrete road and similar concrete constructions and more particularly to an improved type of a removable core unit for use in combination with alternately positioned transload angle members or shoes which are movably disposed in a base section forming part of the joint forming mechanism.

The present invention relates morev particularly to the improved core unit which is formed so that the same may be removed from the transload angles after the pouring of concrete leaving flanged shoulder strips or plates embedded in the concrete on opposite sides of a void or expansion plate, the upper end of which is adapted to be closed by means of an arched hood or cap which is supported on the flanged strips in position to receive a filling of pliable material to fill in the transverse crack left between the road sections by the removal of the improved core unit.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved road joint former having a removable core unit for providing suitable metallic supports near the upper portion of an expansion void for the reception of an arched cap upon which a pre-molded filler of a plastic material may be inserted to close the expansion crack between road sections.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an expansion joint mechanism including a core unit. which is removable after the pouring of concrete to leave suitable supports embedded in the concrete on opposite sides of a void to form a support for an arched cap upon which a filler block may be supported to close the crack between adjacent sections of a concrete construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a road transmission joint void forming unit wherein a core mechanism carries members which are adapted to be left partially embedded in the concrete when the core mechanism is removed, said members being adapted to serve as a support for a block of plastic material used to close the upper portion of the void resulting from the removal of the core mechanism from between adjacent road sections.

It is a further object of this invention to .provde a transmission joint forming mechanism including a core unit having flanged members temporarily secured thereto and adapted to be left partially embedded in concrete when the major portion of the core unit is removed after the pouring of concrete on opposite sides of the core unit.

It is furthermore an object of this invention to provide a transmission joint core unit having angle members temporarily secured thereto which are adapted to be released to remain 'in concrete when the 'core unit is removed to afford a support for a closure for the upper portion of the space resulting from the removal of the core unit.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a load transmission joint mechanism including a load transmission base for supporting a removable core unit including supporting members which are adapted to be released to remain in place above the load transmission base to receive a filler supporting cap whereby the upper portion of the expansion space may be closed.

An important object of the invention is the provision of a road expansion space forming unit which, when removed from between concrete sections, leaves flexible supports in position to receive an arched cap upon which plastic material may be deposited to close the upper portion of the expansion space.

Other. and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

trated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

0n the drawings:

Figure '1 is a'fragmentary top plan view of a concrete road having road joint formers embedded transversely in the road at spaced intervals and embodying the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical detail section taken on line 1'I-II of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the road joint former mechanism shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional detail view taken on line IVIV of Figure 2 showing the core unit embedded in position supported in the load transmission base.

' Figure 5 is a similar sectional view after the core unit has been removed leaving the angle members partially embedded in the concrete section to afiord a support for the closure cap and the block of plastic material.

Figure 6 is a similar sectional View to that illustrated in Figure 5 showing the position of the road joint former partsafter the expansion of the road sections has taken place.

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view of the upper portion of the core unit showing the angle members secured in position The invention (in a preferred form) is illustemporarily by means of a removable tie member.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral I indicates the subgrade of a concrete road upon which the concrete upper or crown section is supported. The crown section of the road is formed with a longitudinal center joint 2 and with transversely disposed. expansion joints 3. The center joint and transverse joints of the upper portion of the concrete road divide the same into a plurality of adjacently positioned concrete sections 4 which are permitted to expand and contract with temperapart of the base of the device in addition to serving as a means for afiording an improved form of core for forming expansion'spaces or voids in the road in addition to leaving supporting means whereby the closures for the upper portions of the expansion spaces may be supported in position.

The base section of the road joint former serves as a load transmission unit between adjacent sections of the concrete road and comprises an elongated base member consisting of a solid base plate 5 constructed of sheet metal or other suitable material. The longitudinal margins of .the base plate 5 are bent upwardly and then inwardly toward one another to form oppositely positioned guide channels 6. The channel portions 8 of the base member provide oppositely positioned guide grooves I. The top flanges of the channel members 6 are spaced apart to provide a longitudinal top opening in the base member of the device. The grooved or channel base member is provided in" a required length whichmay be half of the width of the road or less if preferred. In the present showing the channel base member is adapted to be positioned transversely upon the road sub-grade I and extends from the side margin of the road to one side of the road center joint 2.

Slidably and reciprocally engaged in the base member are a plurality of anchor shoes or holder sections which are arranged longitudinally in offset or staggered relation with respect to one another. The anchor shoes are of identical construction and are arranged with the adjacent shoes reversed with respect to one another as clearly illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. Each of the anchor shoes is constructed of metal and comprises an angle bar consisting of a base flange 8 and an upright flange or web 9 integral with the base flange. The upper margin of the web 9 is cut to provide a plurality of spaced notches and the material from said notches is bent outwardly to provide anchoring blades or wings Ill. The anchoring blades I0 project outwardly from one side of the web 9 leaving the opposite side of the web flat as clearly illustrated in Figure 4;

The anchoring shoes are reciprocally andslidably mounted within the base section, with adjacent shoes reversed with respect to one another so that the anchoring blades or wings II) project outwardly leaving the flat side of the web or flange facing inwardly. The upright webs or flanges of the base shoes are so spaced with respect to one another that a supporting groove or space is provided by the base section in which an improved removable core or form is adapted to be seated and held in position during the pouring of concrete to form the upper or crown section of the road.

The space. or void forming core or form comprises a U-cross-sectioned channel or casing I I constructed of sheet metal and having disposed therein a wooden filler or core block I2. The wooden core block I 2 is held secured in the channel casing I I by means of retaining screws I3 or the like which project upwardly through suitable openings in the bottom of the channel housing II as clearly illustrated in Figure'2. Positioned against the outer surfaces of the upper margin of the channel casing I I are metal spacing strips I4. Contacting the outer surfaces of the spacing strips I I are outer metal plates or strips l5 which extend below the lower edges of the spacing strips I4 to provide pockets or recesses I6. The outer plates I5 and the spacing strips I4 are secured in position to the upper portion of the form or core unit by means of rivets IT. The upper portion of the form or core unit at spaced intervals is provided with transverse apertures or openings I8 below the lower edges of the spacing strips I4 for the reception of tie wires or cords I9, for a purpose hereinafter more further described.

' The form or core unit is provided with the recesses or pockets I6 for the purpose of removably receiving the upright flanges 20 of angle members 2|, the base flanges of which project outwardly from opposite sides of the core unit as clearly .illustrated in Figure 7. The upright flanges 20 of the angle members are provided with apertures 22 which are positioned to register with the passages I8 of the core unit to permit the tie wires I9 to also project through the upright flanges 29 after which the ends of the tie wiresare tied together or twisted for the purpose of holding the angle members 2I suspended in position from opposite sides of the space forming core unit.

The base section of the device is adapted to be placed in position upon the road sub-grade I as illustrated in Figure 4 and the complete unit or form including the angle members 2I is supported in the transload shoes upon the base flanges 8 and between the staggered upright flanges '9;

Witl the complete road joint former in position 'on the sub-grade, concrete is poured upon the sub-grade on opposite sides of the former to embed the same. After the concrete has been allowed to set a desired amount, the tie wires I9 are cut and are pulled out, after which the entire core unit or form, which is wedge shaped or tapered, is pulled upwardly out of concrete, leaving the angle members 2I- with the base flanges thereof embedded in the concrete and with the upright flanges projecting into the void or expansion space 23 formed in the concrete by the removal of the core unit.

It will be noted that with the removal of the core unit from the concrete construction that the transload base units, in addition to the angle afford shoulders or supports for supporting the inwardly directed longitudinally flanged margins of an arched hood or cap 24. The arched hood or cap 24 is constructed of-copper or galvanized sheet steel and seats 'over the inwardly directed flanges 20 of the angle members 2|. The crack or space left between the concrete sections 4 above the hood or cap 24 is filled with a plastic material such as asphalt which fills the space above the'cap 24 to form a filler block 25, to close the upper portion of the expansion void or space 23 as clearly illustrated in Figure 5. -A portion of the plastic material works its way beneath the supporting flanges of the cap 24 and partially fills the space between the flanges 20 and the inner surface of the cap. If desired, the side walls of the filler block may be cemented in place to the concrete sections 4. Premoulded plastic filler blocks 25 may be supported upon the cap 24, instead of pouring a semi-liquid material, as described.

The road joint former mechanism permits of j the use of an improved method whereby an expansion joint may be formed transversely in a concrete road or other concrete construction. The improved method consists in the placing of a transload base section upon the road sub-grade and then supporting a removable form between the shoe members of the base section with said form having removably secured thereto a pair of angle members. After the mounting of the form in the base section, concrete is poured on opposite sides of the road joint formerJmechanism, and after the concrete has been allowed to set a predetermined degree, the tie members holding the angle members in position are cut and the form is lifted from between the concrete sections, leaving an expansion space above the base section and between the road sections with flanges of the angle members projecting into the expansion space to form a support upon which an arched cap is placed after which the space above the arched cap is filled with a plastic material thereby finishing the joint leaving an expansion space between the concrete road sections above the base section and beneath the angle members and the cap which is supported thereon.

When expansion of the road sections 4 takes place, the road sections are permitted to move toward one another to reduce the space 23, thus causing the various parts forming the road joint forming mechanism to assume the positions and shapes similar to those illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings.

The novel feature of the present invention is the provision of a removable core or form which temporarily carries filler block supporting members which are adapted to be left embedded in the concrete sections of the road when the form is removed to provide suitable supports for the filler block which closes the upper portion of the expansion space left when the form is removed from the concrete construction. The removable core or form may be repeatedly reused for forming additional road joints, it only being necessary to attach additional filler block supporting members to the form by means of the tie wires each time the form is reused.

It will of course be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is therefore not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 1. A concrete construction joint former comprising a base section, a plurality of anchor mem-.

bers slidablymounted therein, a core unit removably supported by the anchor members and removable from the concrete construction to pro,- vide an expansion space therein, supporting means temporarily carried by the core unit and remaining partially embedded in the concrete when the core unit is removed, a cap engaged on said supporting means and a filler engaged in the space above the. cap and between the sections of the concrete.

2. A concrete construction joint former comprising a base section, a core unit removably supported thereby to be embedded in concrete and removable from the concrete construction to leave a void therein, supporting means carried by the core unit releasable to remain partially embedded in the concrete when the core unit is removed, and filler means supported on the supporting means to close the upper portion of the void.

3. A concrete construction joint former comprising a load transmission base unit, a core unit removably supported in the base unit and filler supporting members removably carried by the core unit and releasable therefrom when the core unit is removed from a concrete construction.

4. A void formirg device for a concrete construction, said device comprising a core unit removable from the concrete to leave a void therein, filler supporting means carried by the core unit, andretaining means for holding the filler supporting means temporarily associated with the core unit, said retaining means releasable when the core unit is removed from the concrete to leave the filler supporting means engaged in the concrete and projecting into the-void to provide a support for a filler engaged in the void.

5. A road joint former comprising a core unit for removable engagement in concrete to form a void therein, supporting members engaged temporarily with the core unit, and releasable tie means projecting through the core unit and said supporting members for holding the supporting members in position on the core unit and releasable to leave the supporting members partially engaged in the concrete and partially projecting into the void when the core unit is removed to divide the void and form a support for a filler to close the upper portion of the void left by the removal of the core unit and leave an expansion space beneath the filler.

6. A concrete road joint former comprising in combination a core unit removable from the concrete to leave a void therein, and releasable members carried by the core unitretainable by the concrete and deflectable to project into the void to serve as a support for a filler for closing the upper portion of the void leaving the major por-. tion of the void to serve as an expansion space.

7. A road joint former comprising a hollow base, a plurality of angle members transversely shiftable in said base, said angle members positioned in alternating relation with respect to one another and projecting into opposite sides of the base, a core unit removably supported between said angle members and removable after the pouring of concrete to leave an expansion void in the concrete, angle members interfitting the core unit with parts thereof positioned to partially project into the concrete, releasable tie means for temporarily holding the angle members engaged with the core unit and releasable when the core unit is removed from the'concrete to leave the angle members partially embedded in the concrete and projecting into the void, "and a cap engaged in the upper portion of the void and seated on said angle members to form a support for a pliable filler for closing the upper portion of the void.

'8. A concrete road joint former comprising a grooved base section, a plurality of anchor shoes movably engaged therein with adjacent shoes reversed with respect to one another, a core unit removably supported in position by the anchor shoes, anchoring means on said shoes, supporting members carried on opposite sides of the core unit, and releasable tie members for temporarily holding the supporting members engaged with the core unit, said core unitremovable from said shoes and from the concrete when the tie members are released to leave the supporting members engaged in the concrete to serve as a support for a filler for closing the upper portion of the void left by the removal of the core unit.

.9. A concrete road joint former comprising in combination a base, a plurality of anchor shoes movably engaged therein with adjacent shoes reversed with respect to one another, a core unit removably supported in position by said anchor shoes, filler supporting members releasably engaged with said core unit, and releasable tie members for temporarily holding the filler supporting members engaged with said ccre unit.

10. An expansion void forming device for a concrete road, said device comprising an expansion void forming core unit for removable engagement in the concrete, filler supporting members removably engaged on opposite sides of the top' of the core unit to be left in the concrete when the core unit is removed therefrom, and releasable means engaged with the core unit for temporarily holding the supporting members secured to the core unit.

11. The combination with a concrete construction, of a core unit removably engaged therein for forming an expansion space in the concrete and filler supporting members carried by the core unit and releasable with the removal oi the core unit from the concrete to provide a support for a filler means for closing the upper portion of the expansion space.

12. In a concrete construction the combination with a form removable from the concrete construction to form an expansion space there-' in, of means releasable from the form when the form is removed from the concrete, a cap supported on said means for dividing the expansion space, and a filler supported on said cap,

13. A road joint expansion space forming device comprising a form, a plurality of angle members carried thereby, and releasable tie wires engaged through the form and through the angle members.

14. In a road joint forming mechanism the combination with an expansion space forming means embedded between adjacent road slabs, of filler supporting means temporarily carried thereby, and releasable means for retaining the filler supporting means engaged on the space forming means to be embedded therewith.

15. In a road joint forming mechanism the combination with a hollow base, of load transmitting membersmovably supported therein, an expansion space forming means supported by the load transmitting members, filler supporting means temporarily carried by the expansion space forming means, and releasable means for holding the filler supporting means temporarily connected with the space forming means.

16. The method of producing a road joint in concrete, said method consisting of temporarily securing filler supporting members to an expansion space forming means, then embedding the forming means in concrete and releasing the filler. supporting means and then removing the forming means from the concrete, leaving the filler supporting means in position, and finally placing a filler upon the supporting means to close the upp r portion of the expansion space I produced by the removal of the expansion space forming means.

17. The method of providing a closed expansion space in a concrete construction, said method consisting of embedding in concrete a removable space former having filler supporting means temporarily carried thereon, then releasing the filler supporting means and removing the former from the concrete to provide an expansion space with the filler supporting means projecting therein, and then closing the upper porprojecting into the space resulting from the removal of the form from the concrete, then engaging a filler supporting cap in the space supported by the supporting means and finally filling the space above the cap with a plastic material to close the upper portion of the expansion space formed in the concrete.

19. A road joint former comprising a removable expansion void forming core unit including flexible filler supporting members releasable to remain partially embedded in concrete, with the removal of the core unit, and having parts defiectable into the void to span the same to serve as a support for a filler. I

20. A road joint former comprising a road transmission base, a core unit thereon for embedding in concrete and removable to leave an expansion void in the concrete, angle members supported on the core unit and projecting outwardly from the sides thereof for embedding in the concrete to remain in place when the core unit is removed, and a filler means supported on the angle members to close the upper end of the expansion void.

21. A road joint foriner for embedding in concrete and comprising a base, core plates supported thereby, means for filling the space between said plates and also serving to hold the plates spaced apart,and filler supporting members supported on said plate and retainable in :position by the concrete when the core plates and said means are removed from the concrete.

22. A road joint former including in combination a void forming channel core, groove forming members on the sides of the channel core, and

filler supporting means held in place by said members.

23. A road joint former including in combination a void former comprising a pair of plates, filler supports adjacent the plates, means for filling the space between the plates and holding the plates spaced apart, and members secured on the sides of the plates to hold the filler supports on said plates.

24. A paving joint construction comprising spaced apart paving sections, a plate means attached to the end of each of the sections and projecting into the space, flexible portions on the plates adapted to be moved to give access to the space, and means inserted between the sections above the plate means to bridge over and seal the space.

25. A paving joint construction comprising spaced apart paving sections, a separate plate means attached to the end of each of the sections and projecting into the space, means for securing adjacent edges of the plate means together, and capping means above the plate means to bridge over and seal the space.

26. A paving comprising adjacent concrete sections separated by a space formed by a piece from a molding frame, the upper portion of the space being of greater width than the lower portion, at least one of said sections having a shoulder at the point where the width of the space is reduced, a metallic strip embedded in said one concrete block and projecting into the space between the blocks and flexibleinto a position to permit withdrawal of the piece from the molding frame, and then flexible back to overlie the space occupied by the piece from the molding frame, and capping means bridging over the space between the blocks at their tops.

27. A paving joint comprising sections spaced apart to provide an intervening space, the space between sections being greater at the top than appreciably below the top, and said sections having shoulders at the point below the top where the space is reduced in width, and a crowning device of yielding material bridging the space and supported by the shoulders.

28. A paving joint comprising sections spaced apart to provide an intervening space, the space between sections being greater at the top than appreciably below the top and said sections having shoulders at the point below the top where the space is reduced in width, at least one or the sections having a strip extending therefrom at the shoulder in a direction towards the other section, said strip being flexible upwardly to permit access to the space below the strip, and a crowning device bridging the gap between the sections and resting on said strip.

29. The method of making a pavement which comprises making a form for the pouring of concrete to provide two adjacent pavement sections spaced apart by' a section of the form, placing a strip with one end to be embedded in the concrete and the other end to project into the space between the pavement sections above the section of the form, pouring the concrete, removing the section of the form between the pavement sections and then flexing the strip back to overlie the space formerly occupied by the sectiori of the form, and then capping the space between the two pavement sections above the strip.

30. A paving joint construction comprising spaced apart paving sections, separate flexible means projecting from the adjacent ends of the paving sections, and capping means for bridging over and sealing the space between said sections.

31. A paving joint comprising spaced apart paving sections to provide an intervening space, means projecting from the adjacent ends of the paving sections adapted to be flexed to provide access to the space, and capping means for bridging over and sealing the space between the sections.

32. A paving joint comprising spaced apart paving sections, to provide an intervening space, means associated with the end of one of the sections adapted to be moved to provide access to the space, and capping means for bridging over and sealing the space between the sections.

33. A paving construction comprising spaced apart paving sections to provide an intervening space, and means projecting from the end of one of the sections having a portion adapted to be moved to give access to the space.

34. A paving construction comprising spaced apart paving sections to provide an intervening space, and metal means projecting from the end of one of the sections having a portion adapted to be moved to give access to the space.

35. A paving joint construction comprising spaced apart paving sections, a separate plate means attached to the end of each of the sections and projecting into the space, and capping means to bridge over and seal the space between the sections.

36. A paving construction comprising spaced apart paving sections to provide an intervening space, and a separate means projecting from the adjacent ends of each of the paving sections and loosely connected with each other.

ROBERT R. ROBERTSON. 

